The Minnesota Vikings had a sour start to the 2020 season on Sunday as the Green Bay Packers controlled the clock and suffocated the Vikings in a 43-34 loss at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Despite the Vikings hosting the Packers in the opening week for the first time in franchise history. this game didn’t have much of a home-field advantage with no fans in the crowd and the Packers were able to take advantage.
Green Bay moved down the field on the first drive of the game taking advantage of a Vikings offside penalty for a 33-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.
Although the Vikings answered with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Dalvin Cook, the Packers took control of the game soon after with Jaire Alexander sacking Kirk Cousins in the end zone for a safety that put the Packers ahead 8-7.
The rest of the first half was dominated by the Packers with Aaron Rodgers throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Marquez Valdez-Scantling. While the Vikings made a last-second drive that led to a 35-yard field goal from Dan Bailey, they went into the locker room down 22-7 at halftime.
The second half didn’t bring more luck to the Vikings as the Vikings couldn’t get out of their own way, throwing an incomplete bomb to Tajae Sharpe on a 4th-and-2. The Packers quickly capitalized, throwing a second touchdown to Adams to extend their lead to 29-10 at the end of the third quarter.
The Vikings showed fight in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns from Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen and Cook’s second touchdown of the game, but a fourth touchdown from Rodgers to Lazard and a late touchdown by Aaron Jones made a deficit too big for the Vikings to overcome.
After the opening week loss, the Vikings will try to bounce back next Sunday with a Week 2 matchup in Indianapolis.
